Lightning-rod ornament



(No Model.)

J. J. COLE.

LIGHTNING ROD ORNAMENT.

No. 510,837. ed Dec.12,1893.

Jim T111221;

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

JOHN J. COLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LIGHTNING-ROD ORNAMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,837, dated December 12, 1893.

Application filed July 29, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. COLE, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ornaments for Lightning-Rods and other Similar Objects and Supports for the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in ornaments for lightning rods, and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a side view, illustrative of my invention. Fig. II is an edge view. Fig. III is a section, taken on line III-III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a section taken on line IVIV, Fig. III. Fig. V is an elevation of the vane supporting collar. Fig. VI is a section, taken on line VIVI, Fig. I. Fig. VII is a detail section of a metal ball.

Primarily the object of lightning rods is for protection, but in the erection of these useful safeguards care must be taken that they may not become unsightly objects, displeasing to the eye, and oifensive to good taste. For this reason ornamentation becomes an important consideration in the construction and erection of lightning rods, and my improvement relates particularly to ornaments for lightning rods and supports for same.

At present lightning rods are ornamented principally with balls and arrows forming a weather vane, and the balls are sometimes used separately.

The object of my invention is to construct such an ornament which will be durable and strong, and one in which the balls will be securely supported and easily applied.

1 represents a frame of any suitable material, preferably of a metallic strap bent into the proper shape to form the edges of the vane, and riveted or otherwise fastened together, and which may be electroplated, covered with gold leaf or otherwise finished, but I prefer to coat the surface with an enamel of any desired color or colors, which will effectually resist thev action of the atmosphere and remain permanently bright and beauti- Serial No. 360,326. (No model.)

ful. In the central opening 2 of this frame work, I place a ball 3. This ball is provided with openings 1 to admit the lightning rod 5, which passes through it, and at these openings are formed hubs or projections 6 and 7, which are inserted into openings or socketsS in the frame 1 to hold the ball in place. The ball may also be used as a lightning rod ornament separate and apart from the arrow, and when made of metal, for convenience in shipping and carrying, the ball maybe made in halves, properly joined together.

Then I make balls of glass, porcelain, or other brittle material, I make them of any desired shape and color or colors; they being formed in the usual way of producing such articles. Around the openings through the balls I form the necks or hubs 6 and 7, as stated. I then provide metal caps 18 of suitable shape to fit over these hubs (see Fig. III) and with a suitable tool crimp or spin the outer edges of the caps into the recesses or openings of the hubs, as shown at 18 and the inner edges into engagement with the inner edges of the hubs, thus fastening thecaps securely to the ball. These caps materially strengthen the ball, remove its walls from contact with the rod to which it is attached, and greatly reduce the chances of breakage. For greater security, a tube 19 may be used in connection with the caps, and which passes through the ball, as shown. I prefer to support the vane on the rod by a collar 20, clamped to the rod beneath the ball, and which has projecting tongues 21 fitting the recesses of the rod to steady the cap on the rod.

In the side openings 9 of the frame, I place two spheroids 10, of such proportional length and diameter, and of such color or colors as will best harmonize with the balance of the ornament. These spheroids may be made of metal, glass or any other desirable material, and may be coated by any of the usual meth ods, through I prefer to make them of spun or stamped metal, and to coat them with en amel. To hold these spheroids in place, I pro- Vide on each threaded projections l1,and for each I provide a cap 12, for one end, and a cap 13 for the other end. (See Fig. VI.) The caps 12 and 13 are threaded to fit the projections 11. I attach the caps 12 to the frame 1,

ball.

.13 may be attached to the spheroids by cemand to the caps 13 I attach wires 14 of suitable size and length. When the spheroids are placed in the openings 9, the pins or wires 14 enter sockets 15 made respectively in the tail 16, and point 17, of the vane, and the projections 11 on the inner ends of the spheroids are screwed into the caps 12, and the spheroids are then held in place. The caps 12 and ent or in any desirable way, but for convenience I prefer to construct the hubs or projections of the spheroids with a screw thread and thread the caps so as to screw them on, as stated. The tail of this vane may be furnished with a spheroid similar to the above, but of such shape as to harmonize with the balance of the arrow, or with a plate of metal, enameled, as shown. A pleasing effect may be produced by making one of these spheroids red, the ball white, and the other spheroid blue.

When I make the ball and spheroids of metal, I prefer to enamel them, as they retain their brilliancy much longer and better than when painted, electro-plated, silvered, or covered with metallic leaves. I also prefer, in making the balls and spheroids of metal, to stamp them out, when they would be made in halves, as shown in Fig. VII, one half being placed on the other, to make the complete It will be observed that the collar 20 is adjustable in size, as it is not necessary that the joints at 22 should come together, and thus can be used on rods of ditferent sizes. Whatever the size of the rod may be the tongues 21 will bear at some point against the rod and steady the collar sufliciently. They can be bent slightly in or out, to'adjust them to' different sized rods, or to ornaments with openings of different sizes.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with a ball or ornament for lightning rods, the securing cap having its inner and outer edges projecting at an angle and forming between them the annular space for receiving the edges of the ball or ornament, substantially as and for the. purposes described.

2. In combination with a ball or ornament for lightning rods, having openings for the passage of the rod, a tube passing through the ball, and the perforated caps having their inner and outer edges projecting at an angle and forming annular spaces between them for receiving the edges of the ball or ornament, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Asupport for lightning rod ornaments, consisting of a collar, adjustable in size, and provided with tongues substantially as shown and described.

4. A support for lightning rod ornaments, consisting of a collar having tongues 21, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In combination with an ornament for lightning rods, consisting of a ball and spheroids, a frame for mounting the ornament on the rod, having upper and lower parts conforming to the outline of the parts to be supported and having bearings for the attachment of the same; substantially as set forth.

6. In an ornament for lightning rods &c., the combination of a frame and the spheroids having caps 12 and 13, and pins 14, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an ornament for lightning rods &c., the combination of the frame having a tail 16 and point 17,with sockets 15,and the spheroids having caps 12 and 13, and pins 14, substantially as and for the purpose set-forth.

8. In an ornament for lightning rods 650., the combination of the frame having openings 2 and 9, the ball 3fitting in the opening 2 of the frame, and having projections 6 and 7, fitting in sockets 8 of the frame and the spheroids fitting in the openings 9 of the frame, substantially as set forth.

JOHN J. COLE.

In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, A. M. EBERSOLE. 

